Michael Fitzmaurice Warns of Biogas Plant Risks
Michael Fitzmaurice addressed the safety, traffic and regulatory concerns around industrial-scale biogas (AD) plants, warning of explosion and toxic gas risks and calling for setback distances and stronger regulation. He cited a 2024 study of 75 accidents and the November 2023 Oxfordshire digester explosion, and raised specific worries about HGV traffic on narrow rural roads and emergency access.
He referenced a 2024 study that reviewed 75 accidents associated with biogas plants, saying 69% involved explosions and 22% were releases of toxic gases. He argued these facilities produce large volumes of methane, which is extremely flammable and presents a significant risk if not properly managed.
He described a November 2023 incident in Oxfordshire where three digesters exploded after a lightning strike, releasing toxic gases and causing an explosion he said could be felt 20 miles away. He noted commentators have posted videos of that event online and used it to underline the potential consequences of inadequate safeguards.
He warned that many proposed plants are sited in rural communities on narrow roads where two cars cannot pass, and said developers estimate between 30 and 80 HGVs per day serving some facilities. He questioned how quickly firefighters and emergency services could reach a site if large numbers of lorries were blocking local routes.
He discussed proposed plant sizes up to 200,000 tonnes and cited an existing facility he believes is about 190,000 tonnes, equating that scale with thousands of loads a year. He quoted developer figures for a 90,000-tonne plant of 14 inbound and 14 outbound truck movements on a typical day, and noted larger plants may require continuous feed and off-site removal of gas if not grid-connected.
He said he supports regulation and called for mandatory setback distances from houses so neighbours "have to feel safe in their homes." He also said the EPA licenses plants and that local councils have powers to close or stop intake at problem facilities, while stressing proper operation reduces nuisance such as odour.
Accident data and explosion risk
He referenced a 2024 study that reviewed 75 accidents associated with biogas plants, saying 69% involved explosions and 22% were releases of toxic gases. He argued these facilities produce large volumes of methane, which is extremely flammable and presents a significant risk if not properly managed.
Oxfordshire incident
He described a November 2023 incident in Oxfordshire where three digesters exploded after a lightning strike, releasing toxic gases and causing an explosion he said could be felt 20 miles away. He noted commentators have posted videos of that event online and used it to underline the potential consequences of inadequate safeguards.
Traffic and rural roads
He warned that many proposed plants are sited in rural communities on narrow roads where two cars cannot pass, and said developers estimate between 30 and 80 HGVs per day serving some facilities. He questioned how quickly firefighters and emergency services could reach a site if large numbers of lorries were blocking local routes.
Scale of plants and operations
He discussed proposed plant sizes up to 200,000 tonnes and cited an existing facility he believes is about 190,000 tonnes, equating that scale with thousands of loads a year. He quoted developer figures for a 90,000-tonne plant of 14 inbound and 14 outbound truck movements on a typical day, and noted larger plants may require continuous feed and off-site removal of gas if not grid-connected.
Regulation and community safeguards
He said he supports regulation and called for mandatory setback distances from houses so neighbours "have to feel safe in their homes." He also said the EPA licenses plants and that local councils have powers to close or stop intake at problem facilities, while stressing proper operation reduces nuisance such as odour.
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Transcript
Right, thanks. First of all, I do agree, be it wind or any other thing, there should be guidelines and everything, that's the first thing. I was just googling up what the code produces there, and I'd say, when I go back and check them figures, I think you were fairly accurate on what you're saying, about the 4,000 out of 250, compared with the 10,000. The one part to it, you talked about dangers of, say, a flammable thing. Has there been any accident somewhere? Yes, yes, so regards to, as we know, we're producing huge volumes of methane in these facilities, and from that then, they're extremely flammable, and there's a risk of explosion. Where has that been? So, I'll take for example, so a study that was done in 2024, looked at 75 accidents associated with biogas plants, 69% of those... In Ireland, is it? No, no, no, this is across the... But I'll tell you, a most recent one happened in Oxfordshire in November 2023, when three of the digesters exploded, OK? It was struck by lightning, it exploded, and they, what you call it, the toxic gases were released, there was an explosion. It's worth looking up on YouTube to see that video. That explosion could be felt 20 miles away. You know, there is a significant risk associated with these industrial-scale biogas facilities. And I said, 70%, 69% of accidents involving biogas plants are explosions, and 22% of accidents involving biogas plants are release of toxic gases into the local environment. OK, and again, we're talking about industrial-scale biogas. What happened in Oxfordshire was that our understanding is that they didn't put up a lightning rod pole, and as a result, it struck the facility, and there was a huge explosion in that facility. And that's one thing we have to consider. These are being located in rural communities, on rural roads, roads that not two cars can pass. And there's going to be lorries. From our tent, it's going to be between 30 and 80 HGVs per day on these roads, on local rural roads. And if we have an emergency where you need to bring in a serious amount of firefighters or so, and they're going to have to come along local rural roads, and they're going to have to pass these lorries, I mean, how long will it take them to get to these facilities if there is an explosion? And that is why we need regulations, and that's why we need setback distance from houses. We need setback distance from houses, because if there is an explosion or a release of a toxic gas, people in the neighbourhood have to feel safe in their homes. In your reference to things, I agree with you that we need proper roads, because where there's lorries. Where do you get the... What size plant are you talking about with 70 lorries a day? So, if you look at it, so a plant with up to, so we're talking about a plant up to 200,000 tonnes. How many plants in Ireland does that say is at the moment? There is none. Right. There is, I believe there's one above mead. What's the biggest we have? I think the biggest one is in mead is that, I think it's 190,000 tonnes. That's here in Dublin, yeah. Yeah, I think it's 190,000 tonnes is the biggest would be, yeah. So that's 3,000 loads a year. 3,000 loads is eight, are you saying, for... It's 3,000 loads a year, or 365 days. Okay, 3,000... Is that fair to say? That depends on the material and how it's transported, because some... I'm talking about arctic loads, you're bringing the hardest tonne in arctic loads. Yeah, and the thing about that is that we all know is that, like, with biogas plants, you know, about 90 to 95% of the material is coming back out. It would be about five loads, 6, 3, 6, 5, even if you left out the sunders, it's about 10 loads in the day. Would I prefer to say? Well, developers, for plants of the size of 90,000 tonnes, the developers are informing communities that the truck movements will be 14 in, 14 out. So that's 28 truck movements in the day. Okay. Yeah. 20 years, right. But is that... That's not every day, because obviously when you fill the plant, you kind of... You have to... It takes a week or 10 days then before you use that materials that you have to take it out then. Isn't that correct? But it's continuous. So it may be at the very initial point, yes. But then when it's up and running and operating, it'll be continuous. Well, to be, you have to leave, if you fill it, you have to leave it there for generally, I don't know, is it a week or two weeks? I think that's true for the smaller plants. Like for the bigger plants, there's a continuous feed in and feed out. And then obviously we have to factor in there for the bigger plants that do not have a grid connection. The gas will have to be trucked out. Yeah. I think some of them, in fairness, some of them are trying to get a connection to the grid where they're basing them. I agree with regulation, right? I agree that they need to be regulated. I've looked at a lot of AD plants in the north and here. I think if the facts are that if an AD plant is ran right, there isn't a smell. But if they're not ran right, there is a smell. Right? That's the bottom line. I wouldn't agree with you that they cannot be closed down because councils have powers to close down plants if there's problems. Would you agree? No. Well, I've seen it happen. You see, they are licensed by the EPA. They are licensed by the EPA. I've seen plants where if there's any problem, the council have a right to close down. Did they close them down? I've seen one. Well, look, if they stop you taking stuff in, you're closed down. I need to go to the next speaker.